IndyCar Qualifying Postponed

Qualifying for the Sao Paulo 300 IndyCar Series race in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has been postponed.

Originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, it has been moved to Sunday morning at 8:30.

The reason for the postponement was that the track was slippery in spots. Several drivers crashed in the slippery areas during practice on Saturday.

The series and promoters will attempt to fix the track over night.

The Sao Paulo course, which is 2.6-miles around and features 11 turns, is fashioned from city streets.

It is the first time the IndyCar Series has raced on the track or in Brazil.

The race is the season-opener for the series.

IZOD IndyCar Series qualifications were postponed to four hours before the start of the race March 14 based on driver feedback relating to the slippery concrete surface of the one-third-mile Anhembi Sambodromo frontstretch.

Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations for the sanctioning Indy Racing League, met with drivers and team owners/managers mid-afternoon March 13 to devise a schedule that seeks to provide a safe racing environment and a good show for spectators and the worldwide viewing audience.

The scheduled qualifications were replaced by an hour-long third practice session for all cars. Drivers had two earlier sessions totaling 150 minutes. Verizone Team Penske driver Will Power topped the time chart with a quick lap of 1 minute, 31.2980 seconds. Andretti Autosport driver Tony Kanaan was second (1:31.3403) with his teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay third (1:31.3858).

Promoter Bandeirantes and race circuit designer Tony Cotman brought in grinding equipment following the final practice session to work on the concrete surface where drivers transition from the asphalt and the 180-degree Turn 11 of the 2.6-mile, 11-turn course. After a 15-minute warm-up session at 8 a.m. (local; 7 a.m. ET), qualifications will follow. VERSUS’ race coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. (ET).

The Indy Racing League issued this statement:

“We continue to work with circuit designer Tony Cotman and the promoter to fine tune the track with the feedback we’ve received from the drivers. This process is no different than any other new circuit we visit for the first time. Tony Cotman has done a great job creating a fast and racy track that will be a challenge to these world-class competitors while putting on a great show for our enthusiastic fans.”